The present invention relates to infant sleeping structures.
Parents and infants sharing a sleeping area or surface can provide several benefits, such as improved bonding and better sleeping by parents and the infant. Additionally, a mother near her infant can better facilitate breastfeeding. An infant can also have greater stability in body temperature, heart rhythms, and breathing patterns by being close to his or her parent. However, an infant sharing a sleep surface with an adult can provide a dangerous situation for the infant. Sharing a sleep surface with an infant increases the likelihood of a sleeping adult unknowingly impinging on space needed by the infant for adequate bodily functions of ventilation, respiration, human structural integrity, and cardiovascular circulation. Additionally, sharing a sleep environment is associated with increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). An infant sleeping in an adult bed is also at risk of suffocation from being covered by blankets, pillows, etc., and from rolling over face-down onto a soft mattress or bedding. Thus, although sharing sleep surfaces provides some benefits to both an infant and his or her parents, it also presents serious risks to the infant.